Please help me understand my benefits entitlement

[BeauMirchoff]

I'm finally going to split up with my husband. I've done a quick calculation online of what help I would be entitled to and by the looks of it, I would be left with about £1065 after rent (£1250) and childcare (£1400). With that £1065 I'd have to pay for food, transport and all other bills/debts. Council tax would be about £100, phone £50, tv and internet £65, repayment of tax credits £40, cc repayment £30, water bill arrears £50, energy bill arrears £45, other debts approx £50. So that's £430 if my calculation is right...that leaves me with £630 for food, clothes and transport. Can it be done? this is making me so anxious but I just can't live with that man anymore. I'm so unhappy and he treats me like shit and the reason why I even have arrears is because he can't hold down a job for longer than a month. I want to start afresh on my own but that may mean I will really struggle...

Your post doesn't really make sense - what is your annual salary now?

Re your comment 'What do I do then? It's not my fault my husband has treated me like shit. It's not like I want to be on benefits...'

It's also not the taxpayers fault. You need to be honest about your income and then work out how you can make it work based on the benefits you are entitled to. There are so many people living on a lot less than you are earning. You need to consider moving, you might have to give up your job, you might need to look at other childcare solutions, etc.

I'm sorry you're going through this

if op putin a figure of 11.5k , it would give entitlement to working tax credits as well as child tax credits. On an income over 17k there is no entitlement to working tax credits at all. Without any childcare costs the cut off for child tax credits would be around 32k so op is close to that. therefore most of the help will be for childcare only and all of that would not be paid there is a limit. I think the very maximum they pay is 70% and on an income of 28k , she probably won't get the maximum.

You will not get £988 a month tax credits in a salary of £28k or any hb.

^ this. There is no way that you will get that amount.

witches- I totally agree. Most of the help will be for childcare only.

For the worst case scenario - I've put my actual salary into the calculator and it has come up with £444 in benefits. Much less in tax credits but more in housing benefit. However, it will leave me with £500 a month for food, clothes and transport. Not sure how I'm going to survive on this. I need to make my ex aware of the fact that I WILL need his help 
@Bumbumtaloo 28k is my actual salary. 16k is what I will earn in this tax year.

Makes more sense now, you would probably get initial payments but I would imagine this would drop drastically next financial year, not great for a planning anything...

tax credits will only work out your entitlement form when you became single and we are close to the end of the tax year now. You would need to estimate for 2018-19 if you are going to earn more as you don't want to end up with an overpayment. £444 sounds more realistic.

@DancesWithOtters 2 bedroom flat in North London

I don’t understand a few things

You’re already repaying tax credits? And your bills arrears for energy bills and water bills? Are you allowing for new usage in your figures? As in, yes you’re paying arrearsbut you’ll need energy and water everyday

Yes your ex needs to contribute, it's not fair otherwise. Your outgoings are very high, you need to cut back, if ex can't hold down a job why can't he do the childminding

So £444 down from £478 will mean £500 left after bills are paid. Oh man. I hope I can survive on that.

You know that since you’re already repay g tax credits they’re likely to significantly reduce what you get until the arrears are paid don’t you?

@retirednow because he sits on his phone all day, ignoring the toddler. Doesn't take him out, doesn't do anything with him.

@DancesWithOtters no, nothing special about it. It's typical for the area where I live...

Any grandparents around for advice.

@retirednow they live in another country

£500 is enough to live on, yes.
No idea about the rest of your figures.
But I don't think benefits are designed to match your outgoings.
I suspect something needs to change, free childcare when child is 3, new cheaper childcare, giving up work, or moving to cheaper area.

Could you move to a ‘cheaper’ part of london? Childcare could be cheaper and you still should be able to travel to work, sorry your going through this OP

BeauMirchoff have you already told tax credits that your income will change by more than £2,500 this tax year? Sorry, don’t want you to end up with an even bigger overpayment and in the shit.

www.gov.uk/changes-affect-tax-credits

Are you getting 16k or 28k next year? (Sorry am on phone and struggling to follow the figures)

It looks like something’s got to give. I think you need cheaper housing or childcare. I’m not sure if you could move cheaper in London?

Where is ex going to live, is he going to leave the house you are in.

You need to do an application on last years figures and then as soon as you get confirmation of your award phone them and do a change of circumstances